I’ll always read Mason Deaver and so I had to read Ship Happens. As someone who will never go on a cruise, this was pure fun. To be fair, I could probably go on a cruise after reading this, it’s didn’t scar me. Keep reading this book review of Ship Happens for my full thoughts.
Summary
A year ago, Owen Henson had a close-knit group of friends who felt like family and a boyfriend who made his heart race just by walking into the room. But now? Everything’s unraveling. His friends seem to be moving forward without him, and his happily-ever-after shattered when his boyfriend Jacob packed up and left for North Carolina to join a research team.
The last thing Owen needs is for Jacob to waltz back into the city like nothing happened, showing up at their friends’ annual Christmas party looking just as annoyingly handsome as the day he left. Or for their friends to spring a surprise six-day, seven-night cruise up the West Coast to Alaska as a bonding trip for the group. How is Owen supposed to keep it together around the man who broke his heart, all while pretending he’s fine? Totally fine. But then Jacob tells Owen that he’d like to be something even more complicated than exes. He wants to be friends. Skeptical, Owen agrees to the plan but as they spend time together among the gorgeous Alaskan backdrop and cruise-mandated activities, Owen feels his walls coming down and he might just discover that he can’t help but fall in love again.
An emotional second-chance romance set on a breathtaking cruise, where two former flames must decide whether to let go or risk it all for a love that refuses to sink.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I’ll never pass on a second chance romance. And this not only has second chance romance but also a group trip so forced proximity. As someone who has stood on crossroads for long distance relationships, Ship Happens was so relatable. It’s about not knowing if we can handle the distance, but also to know that sometimes the best choice for the person we love is to let them go. To know that what we want, what we need, just might be the wrong time, even if it is the right person. And that stings like hell. Ship Happens is second chance all the way as Owen and Jacob have to question their past choices.
What happens when the dream job, the dream decision, the dream hometown, doesn’t ring the same? When we realize that sometimes it’s about the willingness, to know we can live without someone, but don’t want to. The epilogue saved the ending of Ship Happens for me because I legit didn’t know if just pure love was going to save this. Because it’s painful, but real that sometimes love isn’t enough. But in Ship Happens it’s about realizing that we have to be willing, to know someone is worth waiting, to know that sparks can always be re-lit. That distance or proximity isn’t going to fix our insecurities or issues.
(Disclaimer: Some of the links below are affiliate links. For more information you can look at the Policy page. If you’re uncomfortable with that, know you can look up the book on any of the sites below to avoid the link)
Ship Happens was so cute and I had such a fun time! Find Ship Happens on Goodreads, Storygraph, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.
Discussion
What is your favorite literary cruise?